A Coward's Kiss
by ilovetvalot
Summary: Sometimes courage is lacking in even the bravest men...


_**Author's Note: Hi, ya'll. There are so many exciting things going on over at "Chit Chat on Author's Corner" forum this week! First, we have a brand new April challenge up for those that wish to participate. All the details can be found there, but basically, sign up to write your favorite character. You'll be assigned a random Original Character to pair them with in some capacity. For example, sign up with "David Rossi" and you might be assigned the OC of the second Mrs. David Rossi. Sign-ups are through March 31, 2012.**_

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_**Fortune Cookie Friday prompts are up for your consideration. And, we'd still like to hear from you on the idea of a Criminal Minds Fanfiction Reading Day. The idea is to choose one Sunday a month to set aside for reading and reviewing the many fantastic stories in the CM fandom. Swing by and comment on any of our discussion threads. We'd love to have you.**_

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_**As always, Happy Reading!**_

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**A Coward's Kiss**

His dark eyes narrowed as he stared across the room at the couple sitting at the bar. Swallowing hard, he watched the man's nose bump hers playfully, his lips barely grazing hers as he rose from the stool and shrugged on his jacket, his smile wide as she said something to him.

And then with an eager kiss to her cheek, the other man was darting toward the door, leaving her alone.

He was barely aware of moving toward her, her pull impossible to resist. Pausing just behind her, he bent, his lips hovering against her ear. "Boo!" he breathed, his breath fanning her cheek and he could feel her laugh as she leaned backward, her temple brushing his cheek.

"I wondered where you were, Stud. I thought you were coming to have a drink with us," she chided him with a mischievous grin, swiveling slightly to get a look at his face. "Kevin just left."

"I saw," Derek Morgan grunted, sliding on the stool the technogeek had previously occupied.

Pursing her lips suddenly, Penelope Garcia waved a finger in front of his nose. "You don't get to do that, D." She and her tall drink of Hot Chocolate had been down this road too many times to talk about since she'd started dating the shy boyish fellow technical analyst.

"What?" Derek asked, blinking innocently as he met her all too knowing gaze. Why he pulled the "I don't know what you're talking about" act with her, he would never know. She was obviously capable of reading his mind even when he attempted to employ all forms of subterfuge.

"You know what?" Penelope replied with a sigh, tapping her French manicured nails against the brass rail of the bar. "He's a nice guy," she said softly, shaking her head as she looked away. And Kevin was a nice guy. Steady and dependable, she knew she could count on him. With him, she'd never feel like she wasn't enough...like there was another woman just waiting, ready, willing and able to take her place.

"Nice, huh," Derek echoed with a dark growl, the word falling off his lips like a curse. "Don't you think you deserve something a lot better than just 'nice', Baby Girl?"

"Nice isn't a dirty word, Angelfish," Penelope admonished with a smile, tilting her head, her curls falling easily against her shoulders. "In fact, nice is pretty darn..."

"Nice?" Derek said on a sneer, immediately regretting his reaction as he watched her expressive eyes darken. "Look, Mama," he said quietly, resting his hand on hers, "I just think you deserve more."

"Like what, Derek?" Penelope snapped, snorting in a very unladylike fashion. "Excitement? Passion? What makes you think he doesn't give me those things?"

"He kisses you like a coward, Sweetness," Derek countered, keeping his voice low as the noise in the bar ebbed and flowed around them. "And my Baby Girl has the rights to a lot more than a coward's kiss," he offered strongly, almost daring her to argue.

Cheeks flushing as his words hit home, Penelope muttered, "It's good enough for me." It had to be good enough...nothing else was possible. Nice wasn't a crime. No, it wasn't thrilling. Kevin had never made her heart pound in her ears with just the mere force of his presence, but that certainly didn't make him unworthy company.

It made him reliable. Dependable.

And nice.

"Then you really haven't been kissed by a man that knows what he's doing," Derek snorted, his fingers fisting on his thigh as his eyes gazed hotly at her full damp lips. "Settling for 'good enough', angel? That isn't the woman I know," he denied, shaking his head.

"Then maybe you don't know me quite as well as you think you do, Handsome," Penelope replied archly, her chin lifting defiantly. "I'm happy, Derek," she lied baldly, her heart breaking as she stared into the eyes of the only man that had ever made her melt with just the touch of his eyes on her body.

"No," Derek said tersely, resting his elbow against the polished bar as he glared at her. "You're comfortable. There's a difference."

"Arrogance doesn't look pretty on you, Derek," Penelope retorted huffily, the truth behind his words stinging painfully. She _was_ comfortable. With Kevin, she knew exactly what she was getting. No surprises, no complications. Why was that such a bad thing? "He asked me to marry him, you know," she remarked calmly, watching him out of the corner of her eye as she slid her hand from beneath his and reached for her wineglass.

Stiffening, Derek's jaw dropped. When the _hell_ had that happened? "Tell me you said no," he demanded roughly.

Staring into her glass, Penelope swallowed, struggling for a response.

"Baby Girl! Tell me you said no," Derek growled, leaning forward to forcefully turn her body toward his.

"Why would I?" Penelope asked simply, her heart shining in her eyes.

"Because of this," Derek retorted harshly, his lips covering her quickly, robbing her of breath.

His tongue swept against hers quickly as she opened her mouth to protest and then the world fizzled away, the chaotic clamor of the pub around them dissolving around them. There was only the feel of his lips against hers, sucking and nibbling gently. There was only the smooth slide of his tongue moving expertly against her own, mating wildly like two animals in heat. It was deliciously sinful. Hot. Wet. Carnal. Everything she'd always imagined his kiss would be.

And abruptly, it ended, and the spell shattered.

Tearing his lips away from hers, Derek's breath came in rough pants, a curse falling off his lips. "Sweetness," he shook his head, meeting her gaze guiltily, "I shouldn't have...that shouldn't have happened."

Pressing a finger to his lips, Penelope shook her head slowly from side to side, rising from the bar stool to stand in front of him. "Now, that was a coward's kiss. Do you want to know why?" she asked gently, blinking back tears.

"Go ahead," Morgan said hoarsely against her finger.

Squaring her shoulders as she tapped a finger against his strong chin, she murmured, "Because, lover, while Kevin's kisses might only be _nice_, at least they're honest. They're real. There's genuine courage in _his_ touch. So while my legs don't shake and my pulse never races, I'll take that stability over whatever this is between us any day of the week. He isn't afraid of commitment. He doesn't have a heart attack when I bring up the future. And he's _never_ apologized for kissing me. I guess the bottom line is that I'd rather have a coward's kiss every day for the rest of my life than life it waiting for a coward's love."

Watching her calmly sweep her emerald purse off the counter, he swallowed the lump in his throat as she shook her head sadly.

"Goodnight, Derek."

And as he watched her walk proudly away, he knew she wasn't just saying goodnight.

She had just said goodbye.

**Finis**


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